Playing Atlas
by Prophe-Cass
Summary: She was like Atlas. She held up the ceiling so that she, and Lance, wouldn't die. But a feat so large for one so small is next to impossible. S2 AU


**Atlas: A Greek Titan who was condemned to hold up the sky forever.**

 **Author's notes: This is to all the Kidge shippers out there. In fact my two closest friends are Kidge shippers. Don't let GriffTalon tell y'all otherwise. XD**

 **Also: The IGF-ATLAS, Matt, and Pidge are siblings…so…XD**

* * *

"You're going to be fine, Lance." Pidge told the unconscious boy, trying to hold back the tears thudding down her cheeks.

They had been doing some research in a cave in the heart of a mountain, taking notes and trying to figure out where the inhabitants of this planet had went, when the cave had crumbled. Pidge had sensed the vibrations first, and had rushed for Lance.

He had stumbled as the shaking had gotten worse, hitting his head.

She had just stepped over him when a large rock had collapsed on top of them, landing squarely on her back.

Luckily, her adrenaline kept her from faltering and allowing the rock to crush them, and her hands were now woven tightly behind her to grasp at the rock's corners.

That was more then a varga ago, and she was hardly managing to stay standing. There wasn't enough room to set the rock somewhere else, and, even if she did move it, the rocks held back by the boulder would crush them.

Every inch of Pidge's body screamed in protest more and more with each passing tick.

She shook with effort, closing her eyes momentarily to push back the tears of pain.

Her entire back was numb, and she wondered dimly if her spine was broken. No, then she wouldn't be able to stand, right? Medical knowledge, which was limited, was failing her. She only knew that Keith would be doing so much better if he were in her place. Near inhuman strength had been bestowed upon him at birth, and he kept tabs up about almost any type of medical care, treatment, supplies…nobody knew how much was stored in there. Apparently Shiro had once tried to convince him to pursue the medical career if flying failed him, but Keith had cast that option aside.

Pidge let out a strained laugh at the picture of Keith clad in a white doctor's uniform, her lungs shuddering with the effort.

"But it's funny." She told herself aloud, grinning. Great. Now she was talking to herself, only to distract from the pain.

"It's definitely funny. Keith would die the costume red." She teased, grinning at nothing.

Her helmet crackled with static, as it had a tendency to do off and on this last varga, so Pidge mostly ignored it.

She closed her eyes, shuddering slightly. Everything HURT…

A slight rumble made her eyes spring open, and she searched for the source desperately. It almost sounded like…

It was!

Sounds of Hunk's cannon firing away upon rocks, Keith's sword slicing at the stones, and Shiro's hand slicing away the rocks as well filled the air.

Pidge summoned the last of her energy, inhaled as much air as she could, and began yelling to them, hoping against hope that her cries would reach them.

When she had to stop, her strength was worn out, and she was left to pant in pain, dropping down to a crouch.

Through the stones, she heard the three men call out in worry, crying sorrowfully.

"H-hurry!" She begged loudly, and instantly the scrapping became more vigorous.

They would be unable to get Lance out unless if she stood up to give them room, so she forced her shaky feet to straighten, and she smiled down at Lance. "Just a little longer."

* * *

"Just a little longer!" Keith shouted over his shoulder, looking back at Hunk and Shiro, who were behind him a short distance.

He was in the lead, carving the way, and they were widening the space. After all, it would be Keith's job to pull them out, and he had to have room.

Keith felt his sword puncture straight through a rock, and then there was open space. Ah! They must be here.

He pulled the rocks aside, opening up to a small cavern.

His eyes fell first on Pidge. She was standing, but her head was ducked down, her visor too dark to be seen through.

"Pidge!" He gasped, staggering for her.

She raised her eyes, terror - and maybe some pain - in them. "Careful! You might step on Lance." She warned, her voice weak.

Keith gasped in surprise, looking down, finding his foot mere inches from Lance's face.

"Oh my-! What happened?!"

"Get him out!" Pidge demanded using her head to gesture behind Keith. "Go…"

She began to sag, the entire ceiling shaking with her. "Please…"

Keith pointed his gauntlet's flashlight to the ceiling, tracing it down to it's lowest point. He had already put two and two together, but when his suspicions were confirmed, he almost screamed in horror.

Pidge, little, tiny, weak Pidge was holding up the entire ceiling, most of it resting on her shoulders.

"Quiznak." He swore upon realizing he couldn't get to her without stepping on Lance. "I'll be back in a dobosh." He leaned down, scooped up Lance, and began dragging him behind him, shuddering with worry.

Through the Paladin bond, he could feel Pidge's pain, the aching she felt, and knew he had to hurry.

He had to army-crawl the entire way, shuddering as he pulled Lance behind him.

Slowly but surely the light began to leech into his eyes again and he could make out Shiro's face, a worried crease between his eyebrows.

"Did you get them? The entire cave is going to collapse at any moment." Shiro helped Keith from the narrow part of the hole, the younger man pulling Lance behind him.

"Not both of them." Keith hissed, shoving Lance roughly into Shiro's hands. "Pidge is still in there and…" Keith shook his head, crawling back into the hole.

"What's going on?" Shiro called in after him, fear creeping into his voice.

"She's Atlas!" Keith called over his shoulder. He didn't need to say more. Shiro understood.

And Shiro was already in a panic.

Keith crawled back the way he had come, inwardly picturing himself running.

When he finally stopped imaging such an idea, he was at the spot where Pidge was trapped.

He entered the area, ducking to avoid the ceiling and shifting it as he moved towards Pidge.

"Are you okay, Pidge?" He asked, inspecting the ceiling to see if there was a safe to take the weight from her shoulders.

"H-hurts…" She shuddered. "P-pain…"

Keith couldn't find any safe way to take it from her, and he was beginning to shake in terror. He had to get her out from there. As far as he knew, she was the only thing holding up the cave system.

She couldn't be left here. If he tried to pull her out, most likely the ceiling would crush her legs and he might have to cut her legs off in order to save her. If he simply took the ceiling from her, she would be unable to pull herself out because she was too tired and he'd be stuck! Even if they all alternated between who held it up so nobody would completely be weighed down, they'd both be stuck pulling an Atlas and Hercules act.

"Alright. Pidge. I only know one way to do this." Keith told her gently. "It might not hold long, but you'll need to trust me, alright?"

Pidge nodded, her helmet banging against the rock. She coughed heavily, the ceiling rocking with every convulsion.

"It'll only take a moment." Keith promised, turning on his Bayard's sword and ramming it into the ground so that it was on a strong support.

He knelt down to Pidge's level, taking the ceiling off of her shoulders easily.

Almost immediately Pidge collapsed on the hard ground, ignoring the pointy rocks as she folded in on herself.

"Will you be okay?" She rasped peering up at him.

Keith didn't respond, straining from the effort. If he, strong as he was, could hardly keep it up, how could Pidge have held it up for the better par of two hours?

Keith gently lowered himself down until the ceiling rested on the hilt of his sword.

The ceiling no longer shook, but it was pressing down heavily on his Bayard, which managed to hold it up a good meter and a half up.

Keith ducked down, landing beside Pidge clumsily.

"Pidge, I don't want to have to drag you after me…it'll hurt you more, and you're not unconscious so you won't feel it…please, I…" Keith took a deep breath, choosing his next words carefully. "Pidge, I need you to summon every bit of strength you have left. I'll be right begins you, and can help you. But you have to do most of the pulling yourself. Please."

Pidge blinked her brown eyes at him, pulling herself to her knees with effort and pain.

Then she began crawling, a little bit at a time, heaving with effort.

Keith, true to his promise, was right behind her, carefully helping her move forward.

She paused often, heaving for breath and probably pain.

It took ten doboshes where it would have taken solo-Keith have a minute to reach the opening.

The moment Pidge showed her face, large hands reached in and pulled her out, holding her tightly.

"PidgePidgePidgePidge. I was so scared!" Hunk whined, clutching her against his chest.

Pidge relaxed in his grip, closing her eyes. "H-Hi, Hunk…"

Hunk started, almost dropping her on Keith as he pulled himself from the hole. "Are you alright? Normally you would punch me by now…"

"…tired." Pidge mumbled, snuggling into his chest.

"She held up the entire ceiling for the whole time Lance and her were trapped so that it wouldn't crush him." Keith explained to the startled Hunk, glancing around. "Speaking of which, where is Shiro and Lance?"

"Shiro took Lance back to the castle, just like we should do for Pidge, here." Hunk held the little member close, closing his eyes tightly as he turned towards the castle in the distance. "Let's go."

"Alright." Keith agreed, following him out.

As soon as they were a safe distance away, he summoning his Bayard back to his hand, the ground seeming to tremble even a kilometer away from the sudden weight slamming on the ground.

Pidge shouldn't have had to hold it up. She was too tiny to do such a large feat…

Keith couldn't control much, but he did know he would do his best to ensure Pidge would never be physically, and mentally, strained like that again.

He reached over Hunk's shoulder to pet the exhausted girl's hair, her helmet removed earlier in an attempt to help her breathe easier.

Pidge seemed to lean into his touch, and, for the first time since Keith had rescued her, started to smile.


End file.
